BETWAY PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES CONFIRMED
ANDERSON-TAYLOR REMATCH TO OPEN SEASON IN LEEDS
THE fixtures for the opening nine weeks of the Betway Premier League have been confirmed, with Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor to meet in a rematch of the World Championship final on the opening league night in Leeds on Thursday February 5.
The ten stars of the Betway Premier League will face each other once over the opening nine weeks of the league season in a round-robin format, before the bottom two players are eliminated on "Judgement Night" in Manchester.
The season will kick off at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on February 5, live on Sky Sports HD, and the five matches on the night will include the rematch of Sunday's classic World Championship final, which saw Anderson edge out Taylor for the title.
Dave Chisnall's clash with Peter Wright will kick off the season, before reigning Premier League champion Raymond van Barneveld takes on Adrian Lewis - who landed a nine-darter when the pair met in the World Championship recently.
Debutant Kim Huybrechts will face world number one Michael van Gerwen in the night's third clash - with the Belgian having landed a nine-darter when they clashed in November's Grand Slam of Darts - before Anderson, the 2011 Premier League champion, takes on six-time winner Taylor.
The night's final game in Leeds will see 2009 Premier League champion James Wade make his Premier League return against debutant Stephen Bunting, the former Lakeside Champion who comes into the elite ten-player event following a superb first year on the PDC circuit.
The second league night will see the tournament return for a tenth time to the BIC in Bournemouth, the Premier League's longest-running venue, with the games including the all-Scottish clash between Wright and Anderson and the all-Stoke battle between Lewis and Taylor.
St Helens duo Chisnall and Bunting will take to the stage at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Night Three as they face former champions Wade and Taylor respectively, while Anderson takes on van Gerwen in another tasty clash.
The visit to Belfast on February 26 will include the eagerly-awaited battle between van Gerwen and Lewis, while Bunting will get the chance to avenge his recent World Championship defeat to van Barneveld.
Exciting duo Huybrechts and Chisnall will also meet in Belfast, while Anderson takes on Wade in a battle of former Premier League champions and Taylor takes on Wright.
The return to Exeter's Westpoint Arena on March 5 will open as Holland's van Barneveld takes on Belgium's Huybrechts before Wade meets Taylor, Lewis plays Bunting and Chisnall takes on Anderson either side of the rematch of the 2014 World Championship final between van Gerwen and Wright.
The St Helens rivals, Bunting and Chisnall, face off on Night Six in Nottingham, while the world's top two players, van Gerwen and Taylor, meet in a repeat of the 2013 Premier League final.
The night also features a rematch of the 2011 Premier League final between Anderson and Lewis, while van Barneveld plays Wade and Huybrechts meets Wright.
World Champion Anderson returns to home soil in Scotland for Night Seven in Glasgow on March 19, as he takes on Belgian ace Huybrechts, while Lothian-born Wright will play Stephen Bunting at The SSE Hydro.
Taylor and van Barneveld will renew their rivalry in another Glasgow fixture, with Wade meeting Lewis and Chisnall taking on van Gerwen.
The Premier League then crosses the Irish Sea for Night Eight, with the five games at Dublin's 3Arena including the all-Dutch rematch of last year's final between van Barneveld and van Gerwen.
The other fixtures in Dublin see Taylor meet Huybrechts, Anderson face Bunting, Wright play Wade and Lewis taking on Chisnall.
Judgement Night, the season's ninth league night, will see the stars head to Manchester for the decisive final fixtures before the bottom two players are eliminated.
World Champion Anderson will take on Premier League champion van Barneveld in Manchester, with Taylor taking on Chisnall in a repeat of November's Grand Slam final, while Lewis plays Wright, Bunting meets Huybrechts and van Gerwen faces Wade.
Following Judgement Night, the remaining eight players face each other once more over the remaining six league nights, before the top four players progress to the Play-Offs at The O2 in London on Thursday May 21.
Betway Premier League Fixtures
Night One, Thursday February 5
First Direct Arena, Leeds
Dave Chisnall v Peter Wright
Raymond van Barneveld v Adrian Lewis
Kim Huybrechts v Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson v Phil Taylor
Stephen Bunting v James Wade
Tickets: 0844 248 1585 or www.firstdirectarena.com
Night Two, Thursday February 12
BIC, Bournemouth
Peter Wright v Gary Anderson
Michael van Gerwen v Stephen Bunting
Adrian Lewis v Phil Taylor
James Wade v Kim Huybrechts
Dave Chisnall v Raymond van Barneveld
Tickets: 0844 576 3000 or www.bhlivetickets.co.uk
Night Three, Thursday February 19
Echo Arena, Liverpool
James Wade v Dave Chisnall
Peter Wright v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Stephen Bunting
Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson
Adrian Lewis v Kim Huybrechts
Tickets: 0844 8000 400 or www.echoarena.com
Night Four, Thursday February 26
Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Kim Huybrechts v Dave Chisnall
Gary Anderson v James Wade
Michael van Gerwen v Adrian Lewis
Stephen Bunting v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Peter Wright
Tickets: 028 9073 9074 or www odysseyarena.com
Night Five, Thursday March 5
Westpoint Arena, Exeter
Raymond van Barneveld v Kim Huybrechts
James Wade v Phil Taylor
Adrian Lewis v Stephen Bunting
Peter Wright v Michael van Gerwen
Dave Chisnall v Gary Anderson
Tickets: 08444 99 99 55 or www.ticketzone.co.uk
Night Six, Thursday March 12
Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
Stephen Bunting v Dave Chisnall
Raymond van Barneveld v James Wade
Phil Taylor v Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson v Adrian Lewis
Kim Huybrechts v Peter Wright
Tickets: 0843 373 3000 or www.capitalfmarena.com
Night Seven, Thursday March 19
The SSE Hydro, Glasgow
James Wade v Adrian Lewis
Peter Wright v Stephen Bunting
Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor
Kim Huybrechts v Gary Anderson
Dave Chisnall v Michael van Gerwen
Tickets: 0844 395 4000 or www.ticketSOUP.com
Night Eight, Thursday March 26
3Arena, Dublin
Adrian Lewis v Dave Chisnall
Gary Anderson v Stephen Bunting
Peter Wright v James Wade
Michael van Gerwen v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Kim Huybrechts
Tickets: 0818 719 3000 (Ire), 0844 8472 455 (UK) or www.ticketmaster.ie
Judgement Night, Thursday April 2
The Manchester Arena
Michael van Gerwen v James Wade
Stephen Bunting v Kim Huybrechts
Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Dave Chisnall
Adrian Lewis v Peter Wright
Tickets: 0844 847 8000 or www.eventim.co.uk
Following Week Nine, the bottom two players from the league table are eliminated. Revised fixtures for Weeks Ten-15 will be announced following Week Nine at www.pdc.tv, with the remaining eight players facing each other once more during the final six league nights.
Night Ten, Thursday April 9
Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Tickets: 0114 256 5656 or www.motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk
Night 11, Thursday April 16
GE Oil & GAs Arena, Aberdeen
Tickets: 08444 77 9000 or www.ticketmaster.co.uk/aecc
Night 12, Thursday April 23
Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Tickets: Sold Out
Night 13, Thursday April 30
The Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham
Tickets: 0844 338 8000 or www theticketfactory.com
Night 14, Thursday May 7
Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
Tickets: 08444 93 6666 or www.eventim.co.uk
Night 15, Thursday May 14
The Brighton Centre
Tickets: 0844 847 1515 or www.ticketmaster.co.uk
Play-Offs, Thursday May 21
The O2, London
Tickets: 0844 856 0202 or www.axs.com
For full ticket information and Terms & Conditions, click here.
Betway Pre-Tournament Odds
9/4 Phil Taylor
5/2 Michael van Gerwen
5/1 Gary Anderson
8/1 Adrian Lewis
14/1 Stephen Bunting
16/1 James Wade
22/1 Raymond van Barneveld
28/1 Peter Wright
40/1 Dave Chisnall
40/1 Kim Huybrechts
Odds correct at January 8 2015 and subject to change. For latest odds, visit www.betway.com. Please Gamble Responsibly.
Tournament Format
The ten players will face each other once during the opening nine weeks. Following Week Nine, the bottom two players from the league table will be eliminated. From Weeks Ten-15, the remaining eight players will play each other once again. Following Week 15, the top four players will progress to the Play-Offs.
All league fixtures will be the best of 12 legs of 501. Once a player reaches seven legs, they have won the game and no further legs will be played.
Two points will be awarded for a win, one point will be awarded for a six-all draw and no points will be awarded for a defeat.
The player named on the left in the fixture will throw first in the opening leg of each game. This will be reversed in the second meeting (where applicable).
Should players be tied on points in the league table, Leg Difference will be the first deciding factor. If this is also a tie, then Legs Won Against Throw will be the next deciding factor, and any further tie would be split by a comparison of the relevant players' three-dart tournament average at that stage.
All nights will begin at 7pm and be screened live on Sky Sports HD.